The major difference in my reading habits that I noticed right away was that if I was reading a book that didn’t really capture my attention, I didn’t feel the need to finish it. There were so many more available to me immediately that I didn’t feel bad about skipping one that was poorly written (one of the frequent drawbacks of self-published ebooks). I also noticed that I got better at being interrupted at my reading; while I used to have trouble getting right back into the book after an interruption, I find now that I don’t have that problem at all.
The one drawback that was particularly prominent was the lack of ability to make notes. The model that I own does have that capability, but frankly, it was cumbersome and often required a master reset if I tried to highlight a passage or make a note. For this reason, I still do any academic-focused reading on traditional book formats, since it saves me time and frustration. In the intervening years I’ve gotten an iPhone, so I frequently do my reading on that device instead, which works much more seamlessly and offers the ability to use the device without connecting to a wireless internet network, which certainly increases its usability.
I have talked to a good number of customers at our store about their preference for ebooks because of their ability to manipulate the font or text size. I know this was a big perk for my grandmother; she frequently increased the text size so that only a dozen words appeared on a page, and that made it easy for her older eyes to read it. She did mention that sometimes it made reading slower, since the next page had to load before she could read it, but that she preferred her ereader anyway because the eye strain was so much less. I’ve also heard from a few customers that they read on their ereader because of their dyslexia; the ability to manipulate the font helps decrease the reading time and difficulty. Generally, I believe the greatest strength of ebooks and ereaders to be increased accessibility, so they are a very appealing option for quite a large segment of people.
Audiobooks have similar features that increase accessibility, especially for those that have limited vision. They are also convenient for those that do not have the time to sit and hold a physical book/ereader, so long as you’re able to multitask. I used to commute about an hour to work, so I frequently used audiobooks to “read” in the car, though it was often in concert with a physical copy when I was not driving. It does require a certain amount of attention, however, so it’s not an ideal fit for everyone.
I have noticed that the pacing when listening to an audiobook is quite different from reading it on paper. I first noticed this when listening to The DaVinci Code on a long road trip; there were whole sections that seemed completely irrelevant or way too descriptive when I was listening to them. I still remember that the description of the “long mechanical arm” reaching into the depths of the bank to retrieve the safe deposit box seemed to take hours, when in reality, it was probably only a couple of minutes. Having read some of Brown’s other works in print, I know that his general pacing doesn’t bore me at all; the audiobook was unique in this. I discovered that I’m all for the abridged version whenever possible, though the purist in me cringes to know that I’ve skipped whole sections of the book.
Another major issue with audiobooks is that the style of narration becomes one of the most important appeal factors. If you don’t like the narrator, you won’t like the book. Unfortunately, the style of narration has so many variables, that it can be very difficult to predict if someone else will enjoy it. The gender of the narrator, their pacing, their pronunciation, their choices when reading dialogue, the pitch of their voice, and any number of other factors can be important to readers. It is an additional matrix that must be considered when providing RA for audiobook listeners. Finding a book with plot, story, and characters that are appropriate is the first step, but then you must consider narrative style as well.
So even though I personally prefer actual books, I do bow to the convenience of other formats. Ebooks and audiobooks do play a role in the way that I read, because sometimes carrying around stacks of books just isn’t practical. I do, however, know from talking with many customers that those formats have enabled them to start reading again, because it makes books accessible in ways that they were not before.
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